Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-02-04

"No. ! didn't. said Della She was look
/ ing mcommmly well today. She wore
her black silk aud had some dark red roses
/ in her bonnet
well he never took his eyes of You.
/ Della, that Teller would give all his old shoes
to come back, if you'd have him
Don talk 50 foolish, mother
ole would you depend on it..
I'D ike to see him, said Della, sternly.
There was Il red glow on her dull thick
/ cheeks
"Well, ! say 50, too, =" said her mother.
| The next night, when Della reached the
| Ihayer house ON her way from school,
Lawrence's mother stood at the gate She
had "a little green shawl over her head. She
was shiNering the wind blew up cool
just behind her in the yard there was a lit
| tie peach-treo all in blossom.
| She held out her hand mutely when Della
reached her. The girl did not take it,
Good evening, said she and was passing
Can't you stop, Jest Il minute, Della =
Was there anything you wanted p
Cant you come into the house Jest a
minute ! wanted to see you about some
thin"
IL don't believe ! can tonight, Mrs
Thayer.'
There amt anybody there. There was
Somethn' ! wanted 10 see YOU about
The green shawl was bound severely
around her small, old face with its peaked
chin. She reached out her long, wrinkled
hand over the gate, and clutched Delia's
arm softly
"Well, III come in minute Della fol-
! lowed Mrs Thayer past the blooming peach
tree into the house
The old woman dragged forward the best
rocking chair trembingly "Sit down,
a. .ufI Ia. Ill L. IA
close beside her, and leaning forward gazed
into her face with sort of deprecating
mildness. She even laid hold Of one Of her
hands, but the girl drew it away softly.
There was a gentle rustic demonstrative-
ness about Iawrence's mother which had
always rather ahashed Della. who was typi-
cally reserved. II wanted 10 speak TO you
about Lawrence, said the old woman De
liza sat stifily erect. her head turned away.
81 can't bear to think YOU are always goin
to feel 80 hard toward him, Della. Did yuu
know it -
Della half arose. There isn't any use
IN bringing all this up again, Mrs. Thayer:
it all past now.
Sit down Jest a minute, dear | want
to talk 10 you. | know you've got good
reason 10 blame him but there's some eN-
cuse. He want nothin but boy, an she
was sweet looking, an she took on dread
full. You'd thought she was guin' to die
1t Is turned out Jest the way | knew twOuld.
! told Lawrence how 'twould be then |
see right through her She meant well
enough | pose she thought she was in
love with Lawrence but she was Eighty
She went home and saw another Teller an
Lawrence was nowhere He didn't care
so much as folks thought. Della. I'm goin'
to tell you the truth he thought more Of
you than he did of her the whole time.
You look as if You thought was crazy, but
l amt She jest bcwitched him little
spell, but you was at the bottom of his
heart always-you 'roS. Della" The old
woman broke into suhs
Della rose I'D better 90 There isn't
any use in bringing this up. Mrs Thayer.
Don't 90, Delia-dont ! wanted t.
tell YOU. He got to talkin with me little
the other Sabbath night. Its the first time
he's said "A word, but he felt awful bad, an
] questioned him. Says he, Mother, don't
dream of such a thing as her havin of me,
or cal'n' anything about me again but |
do feel as if | should like to do somethin if
could, to make up to her a little for the
awful wrong I've done her That was Jest
the words he said. Della, he amt such
bad boy as you think he is. after all. You
hadn't ought to despise him"
Hell have to do something to show I've
got some reason not to, then said Della
She looked immovably at the old woman,
who was struggling with her sobs. She
told her mother Of the conversation after
she got home
You did Jest right, said Mrs Caldwell.
Il wouldn't knuckle to 'em if | was in
your place She was getting tea After
they had finished the meal, and sat idly at
the table for a few minutes, she looked
across at her daughter suddenly, with EN-
barrassed sharpness. 'Speakin about Law
renee. you wouldn't feel as if YOU ever
could take him, anyhow, would you, said
she
Mother, what are You talking about 2"
In few weeks the anniversary of De
has defeated wedding came. She spoke of
1t herself after dinner. She and her moth
er were making currant Jelly.
Why, its my wedding day, mother,
said she. Il ought to have put on my we'd
ding gown, and eaten some wedding cake
instead of making Jelly"
Don't talk so. child" said her mother.
Sometimes Delias hardihood startled her.
Della was pressing the currants in a mus
lin bag, and the juice was running through
her fingers, when there was a loud knock at
the door
why, who's that" her mother said,
lulNtAliEs one ran anu DttDet through
the sitting room blinds Its Mrs. 'Rastus
Thayer, she motioned back, AN Milly."
IN go to the door, said Della She
washed her hands hurriedly, and went She
noticed with surprise that the two visitors
were dressed in their Sunday best, Mrs.
Thayer in her nicely kept cinnamon brown
silk. and Milly in her freshly starched white
muslin. They had an air of constrained
curiosity about them as they entered and
took their seats in the parlor.
Della sat down with them and tried to
talk. Pretty soon her mother who had
prinked a little, entered but Just as she
did 50 there was another knock. Some of
the Caldwell cousins had come this time
They We're also finely dressed, and entered
with that same sobeTly eXpectant air They
were hardly seated before others arrived
Della, going to the door this time, saw the
people coming by twos land threes up the
street. They focked in, and she brought
chairs. Nothing disturbed her outward
composure but her mother grew pale and
tremulous. She no longer tried to speak
she sat staring. At two o'clock the rooms
were filled with that same company who
had assembled to see Della welded two
years before.
They sat around the walls in stiff silence
they seemed to be waiting. Della was not
imaginative, nor given 10 morbid faEcies
but sitting there in the midst of that mys-
FERROUS company in her cotton gown, with
her hands stained with currant Juice, she
began to fairly believe that it was "A dream
Were not those people mere phantoms of
the familiar village fold assembling after
this truly fantastic manner, and sitting
here in this ghostly silence Was not the
whole phantaSmagoria of the last mo-
ments of her sweet old happiness and belief
i'll truth Was not she herself disenchant-
ed, with her cotton gown and stained
hands, the one real thing in it =
The scent Of the pinks came in the win
dow, and she noticed that. How real it
all is 80 she thought. But | shall wake up
before long" 1t was not like one of those
dreams in which one clings stanchly to the
consciousness Of the dream, and will not
sink beneath its terrors.
When Lawrence Thayer entered she
seemed to wake violently. She half rose
from her seat, then sank down again. Her
mother screamed
Lawrence Thayer stood by the parlor
door, where everybody in the two rooms
could hear him. His gentle, beardless face
was pale as death but the pallor revealed
some strong lines which his youthful bloom
had softened. He was slender, and stopped
"A little naturally now he was straight as a
reed. lie had IA strange look to these people
who had always known him
Friends he began, in a solemn, pant
ing voice, 'I-have-asked you to come
here on the anniversary of the day ON
which Della Caldwell and ! were to have
been married, to make to her, before you
all the restitution in my power, don't do
it to put myself before you in better
light God, who knows everything knows
| don't; it's for her. / was a coward and
mean, and it's going to last Nothing that